WORLD AND MONSOON CUP CHAMPION MINOPRIO WINS RACE OF HIS LIFE AT DANIS

by Monsoon Cup 2010 on 28 Sep 2010 Bornholm, Denmark (Sept 13, 2010): Reigning World Match Racing Tour Champion Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing declared his victory over close friend and fierce rival Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team in the final of the Danish Open as one of the best of his life. With the score tied at 2-2 in the first to three point series, Monsoon Cup winner Minoprio trailed Mirsky in the final match but battled back for the most dramatic victory of his career.

The victory boosted Minoprio’s chance of retaining his title, moving him up to second in the standings and cutting Matthieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team lead to just 17 points with two rounds left of the 2010 Tour. Richard leads the way with 105 points after beating Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra to finish third.

Minoprio and Torvar matched each other blow for blow in the first to three point contest and after four matches the scores stood at 2-2. Mirsky had already proved himself to be the comeback king having overturned a 2-0 deficit against Richard in the semis. He looked set to do it again when he bounced back from 2-1 down to lead Minoprio in the deciding race, but Minoprio showed all the steel and skill that saw him win the Tour last year to hold his nerve and reel in and pass Mirsky on the second beat. An elated Minoprio said: “We’re absolutely ecstatic, it’s great to get another win on the Tour.

“That was the best match race we’ve been in. We looked to be up against it when the scores were 2-2 and we were trailing but I’m really pleased that we had the skill to stay in there and catch them. The result is so important for us as we were lying third coming into the Danish Open. Now we can look forward to Bermuda and try and close the gap more on Richard.”

In the opening race of the final Mirsky had a horror start, coming late to the line which immediately put him 1.5 boat lengths down which was soon extended to four lengths when they first crossed tacks. By the top mark Mirsky was a distant seven lengths down and never had a realistic chance of catching Minoprio.

Mirsky wasn’t going to let Minoprio have it all his own way and bounced straight back to take the second race. After an even start Mirsky played the wind to perfection to lead at the top mark and hold his advantage to the finish, levelling the scores at 1-1.

The start came back to plague Mirsky in the third match as he jumped the gun allowing Minoprio to immediately open up a four length lead. However, he battled his way back into the race and as the two boats came out of the top mark they were overlapped. The boats were again neck-and-neck at the leeward mark where Mirsky picked up a penalty for hitting the buoy. Minoprio seized the advantage and opened up a large lead which he maintained to the end to go 2-1 up.

In the fourth race Mirsky dominated Minoprio from the outset, leading off the start line and all the way to the finish. The final race looked as though it was going exactly the same way, with Mirsky maintaining a narrow lead for the whole of the first lap. On the second upwind leg he favoured the right and kept only a loose cover on Minoprio, who seized the opportunity to find better pressure and a good shift to on the left cross a length ahead and take control of the match.

“It really felt as though the race was ours but we let it go. It was a crushing moment when Adam passed us …and I had a little outburst,” Mirsky said. His second place moves him up to third position overall in the championship, ahead of Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar. Minoprio’s victory was his second of the year having won Match Race Germany in May.

Danish Open 2010 Final
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing beat Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 3-2

Third-fourth (Petit Final)
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team beat Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 2-1

Overall Result of the Danish Open
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 25
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 20
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 15
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 12
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 10
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 8
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 6
Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 4
Mads Ebler (DEN) Ebler Matchracing
William Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing
Suzanne Ward (DEN) Team Ward
Michael Buckley (USA) MB Sailing

See the play of the day and highlights of all the Danish Open action at www.wmrt.com/multimedia/video-gallery.html